Defense lawyers said they made the unusual request because they were worried about Skocz's safety.

''Throughout this case, there have been serious security concerns about the safety of the defendant and the defense attorneys,'' their court motion states.

Skocz was convicted last month of kidnapping, raping and killing his next-door neighbor, Shelby Cox, 4, of Intercession City. Her body was found in Skocz's family's shed.

A jury, by a 9-3 vote, recommended that Kaney sentence Skocz to die in the electric chair for the November 1995 crime. However, Kaney could sentence him to life in prison.

Prosecutors and Shelby's family objected to the closed-circuit TV arrangement.

''He committed the crime. He should be here to face the sentence,'' said Shelby's mother, Heather Cox.

Shelby's grandfather agreed.

''Certainly he should be there,'' Ted Boburka said. ''He deserves no leniency whatsoever. He's there to take all the abuse heaped on him. He deserves no special treatment.''

Initially, Assistant State Attorney Jon Morgan said he was concerned that the video arrangement could lead to a death sentence being overturned.

However, in a few cases dating to 1985, judges have ruled that as long as defendants voluntarily stay away from court, they can't use their failure to appear as grounds to keep them alive, he said.

Nonetheless, prosecutors wanted Skocz on hand when he is sentenced. The date has not been set. During the trial, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office added additional deputies for security, and Skocz wore a bulletproof vest.